New Zealand's first inclusive musical for kids

Touch Compass' Madagascar_credit Andi Crown.jpg

NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST INCLUSIVE CHILDREN’S MUSICAL OPENS IN MAY

Forty-one children with and without disabilities will share the limelight in Auckland this May in New Zealand’s first ever fully-inclusive children’s musical, Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr.

You can read about it here on Stuff.co.nz!

Based on the rip-roaring DreamWorks animated motion picture, and featuring the movie’s original music and lyrics, this inclusive theatre production is being presented by New Zealand’s leading professional, integrated performance company, Touch Compass, at The Rose Centre, Belmont.

The cast includes children aged 6 to 18, almost half of whom have some kind of disability or learning difference - including Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and Spina Bifida. Performers who require full-time support will be accompanied by support actors on stage – in costume.

The show will also be fully accessible, including Deaf signing by a young interpreter who is Deaf herself, hence, rather than interpreting what’s on stage, will be learning the entire script word for word. While this does happen from time to time overseas, it is very unique in New Zealand.

There will also be a special relaxed show for young theatre-goers with autism and sensory sensitivities.

About Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Junior

Madagascar tells the story of Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and, of course, the hilarious, plotting penguins as they escape from their home in New York's Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien's Madagascar.

Alex the lion is the king of the urban jungle, the main attraction at New York's Central Park Zoo. He and his best friends have spent their whole lives in blissful captivity before an admiring public and with regular meals provided for them. Not content to leave well enough alone, Marty lets his curiosity get the better of him and makes his escape to explore the world.

About Touch Compass

Touch Compass is New Zealand’s leading professional inclusive performance company and has been creating experiences for audiences, and for disabled and non-disabled performers since 1997.

They work creatively with world-class choreographers and directors to draw out narratives that challenge perceptions about what performance is and who can do it.

Their live performances, film, digital, site specific work and collaborations act against barriers to reach diverse audiences. By continuously moving beyond difference, Touch Compass encourages society to do the same.